---
title: "US Imposes Sanctions on VTB: Russia's Second-Largest Bank Hit Over Ties to Iran"
description: "OFAC of the U.S. Treasury added VTB, Russia's second-largest bank, to its sanctions list for its involvement in circumventing restrictions against Iran. The decision was made against the backdrop of the failure to unanimously extend anti-Russian sanctions in the EU due to a dispute over Usmanov and Fridman."
date: 2026-09-14T19:58:00.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/us-sanctions-vtb-bank-iran
tags: [us-sanctions, vtb, russia, iran, ofac, eu-sanctions, scott-bessent]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# US Imposes Sanctions on VTB: Russia's Second-Largest Bank Hit Over Ties to Iran

![Official in a business suit against a formal interior backdrop in the context of US sanctions against VTB](https://xab.info/media/2026/09/15/ssha-sanktsii-vtb-bank-iran/ssha-sanktsii-vtb-bank-iran-1.webp)

## 🎯 Key Points

- OFAC of the U.S. Treasury added VTB to its sanctions list for its involvement in circumventing restrictions against Iran
- Scott Bessent stated that pressure would continue on those who support the Iranian regime
- EU countries in Brussels failed to reach a unanimous agreement on extending sanctions due to a dispute over Usmanov and Fridman
- According to Jozwiak, the EU extended the sanctions for only one week; France and Slovakia blocked the full extension

The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the U.S. Department of the Treasury has added the major Russian financial institution VTB — the second-largest bank of the Russian Federation — to its sanctions list. According to a press release from the U.S. agency, the basis for the restrictions was the bank's involvement in circumventing sanctions in force against Iran. The U.S. Treasury's statement emphasizes that VTB provided material, technological, or financial support to the Iranian regime, which, in Washington's assessment, constitutes a direct violation of the existing restrictive measures.

### Scott Bessent's Comment and the Logic Behind the Sanctions Decision

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent commented on the inclusion of VTB in the sanctions list, promising that the department would "continue to act against those who provide material, technological, or financial support to the Iranian regime." The Treasury Secretary's statement indicates that the sanctions decision is not a one-off measure but fits into Washington's broader strategy to cut off channels of financing to Tehran. For the Russian financial system, the inclusion of the second-largest bank by assets in the OFAC sanctions list means a serious restriction on its international correspondent business and access to dollar settlement.

### Context: Negotiations in Brussels and the Dispute Over Oligarchs

The U.S. sanctions decision was made against the backdrop of tense negotiations among European Union countries in Brussels, where participants failed to reach a unanimous agreement on extending anti-Russian sanctions. The cause of the disagreements was the positions taken on two Russian businessmen — Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman. According to Radio Free Europe journalist Rikard Jozwiak, France and Slovakia blocked the full extension of the restrictions, demanding the lifting of sanctions against the individuals in question. As a result, according to his information, the European Union extended the anti-Russian sanctions for only one week, while the bloc plans to significantly expand the package of restrictive measures in the future.

### Kyiv's Call and Risks to the Sanctions Regime

Kyrylo Budanov, head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, previously publicly called on EU countries not to weaken the sanctions regime so that Russian oligarchs could no longer continue to finance Russia's military machine. His statement came in the context of a discussion about the fact that even a short-term extension of sanctions by one week sets a precedent for further easing of the restrictions. Experts note that the combination of U.S. measures against VTB and the potential expansion of the European package could exert additional pressure on the Russian financial sector, particularly in terms of cross-border settlements and access to Western technologies.

### Contradictory Data

Regarding the situation with the extension of EU sanctions, sources record a discrepancy in the presentation of facts. On the one hand, the materials state that the European Union countries "failed to agree on extending the anti-Russian sanctions" due to disputes over Usmanov and Fridman, which could be interpreted as a complete breakdown of the negotiations. On the other hand, according to Jozwiak's data, the sanctions were nevertheless extended, but only for one week, with France and Slovakia formally blocking the full extension. Thus, there is no unified understanding in open sources at the time of publication as to whether a compromise was reached or the negotiations collapsed entirely. Both versions coexist in the media space, and the final legal force of the adopted decision depends on the official document of the EU Council, which had not been published in full at the time the material was prepared.

## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification

- [US Hits Russia's Second Bank with Sanctions Over Ties to Iran](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/ssha-vdarili-sanktsiyami-drugomu-banku-rosiyi-1789415598.html) - Подтверждает включение ВТБ в санкционный список OFAC за обход санкций против Ирана, цитирует пресс-релиз Минфина США и комментарий Бессента.
- [Russian Bank VTB Hit by US Sanctions for Helping Iran Circumvent Restrictions](https://unn.ua/ru/news/rossiiskii-bank-vtb-popal-pod-sanktsii-ssha-za-pomoshch-iranu-v-obkhode-ogranichenii) - Совпадает по сути: ВТБ под санкциями за помощь Ирану в обходе ограничений. Дополнительных противоречий не выявлено.
- [US Imposes Sanctions on Russia's VTB](https://korrespondent.net/world/russia/4911721-ssha-vvely-sanktsyy-protyv-rossyiskoho-vtb) - Подтверждает факт введения санкций против ВТБ. Контекст совпадает с основной подачей.
- [US Imposes New Sanctions on VTB for Helping Circumvent Restrictions Against Iran](https://nsn.fm/in-the-world/ssha-vveli-novye-sanktsii-protiv-vtb-za-pomosch-v-obhode-ogranichenii-protiv-irana) - Подтверждает мотивировку (обход ограничений против Ирана) и факт включения в список. Нет расхождений с другими источниками.

## ❓ FAQ

### Q: Why did the US impose sanctions on VTB?
**A:** OFAC of the U.S. Treasury added VTB to its sanctions list for its involvement in circumventing sanctions in force against Iran. In Washington's assessment, the bank provided material, technological, or financial support to the Iranian regime.

### Q: What is VTB and why is it important?
**A:** VTB is the second-largest bank of the Russian Federation. Its inclusion in the OFAC sanctions list means serious restrictions on its international correspondent business and access to Western settlement systems.

### Q: What is happening with EU sanctions against Russia?
**A:** At the meeting in Brussels, EU countries failed to reach a unanimous agreement on extending anti-Russian sanctions due to a dispute over Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman. According to journalist Rikard Jozwiak, the sanctions were extended for only one week, while France and Slovakia blocked the full extension.

### Q: What did U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent say?
**A:** Bessent promised that the U.S. Treasury would "continue to act against those who provide material, technological, or financial support to the Iranian regime," indicating the systemic nature of the sanctions policy.